With an ageing population, the importance of medication management for chronic diseases, and the expanding scope of practice for pharmacists in every province, the demand for pharmacists' services is expected to increase. The Canadian Pharmacists Association provides a nice overview of where provinces are in regard to expanding scope of practice.

Offering some select figures, as of January 1, 2017 there are over 42,500 licensed pharmacists in Canada. In 2015, those age 50 and older represented more than 30% of the workforce, with an average pharmacist age of 43.1 years. Approximately 60% of pharmacists are female. [source: National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities and Pharmacists, 2015, Canadian Institute for Health Information]

2. What are some potential career opportunities once I graduate?

Graduates will have a solid foundation for a range of career options including clinical patient care (general or specialist) in a variety of practice settings (community pharmacies, family health teams, hospitals, long term care institutions), health informatics, research, public policy, regulatory agencies, professional associations, the pharmaceutical industry, and academia. As Pharmacy Technicians become a regulated profession (in provinces like Ontario), and governments enhance their payment systems beyond dispensing, the clinical (direct patient care) role of pharmacists will undoubtedly increase. This includes more involvement in patient health management, chronic disease prevention and management, prescribing, physical assessment, immunization, and other types of services for which pharmacists are trained. The Canadian Pharmacists Association provides a nice overview of where provinces are at in regard to expanding scope of practice.

3. As a registered pharmacist what would be the annual salary I might expect?

Wages are dependent upon various factors such as where you work (for example hospital, community or industry), whether you work full or part-time and whether you are a manager or owner (if in a community pharmacy setting). There are also numerous other career possibilities. Typically a pharmacist working in community practice in Ontario could expect to earn an annual salary in the range of $97,000 – $110,000. [Source: Wages & Benefits Survey 2013, Ontario Pharmacists Association]